

If we really want to level up? Bring back SureStart
MV Non-executive Professor Donna Hall argues that early intervention must be a priority for a new government and makes the case that a...

Mutual Ventures
May 14, 20245 min read


Could a return of 2009’s Total Place policy be part of the solution to public services’ challenges in 2024?
With murmurs of a post-election return of the previous Labour government’s Total Place policy, John Copps looks at why it is still...

John Copps
Apr 16, 20243 min read


Revisiting Total Place: an approach to collaboration in local public services
Launched in 2009, the UK Government's Total Place policy is a valuable model of local multi-agency collaboration in an attempt to provide...

Elizabeth Roe
Apr 9, 20247 min read


Prioritising Children's Health: Shifting the dial depends on effective local partnerships
As part of our 2024 Prioritising Public Services series, MV's discussion paper Shifting the Dial on Children's Health Outcomes looks at...

Mutual Ventures
Mar 1, 20241 min read


Investing in prevention: the most difficult issue in public services today?
John Copps asks what we can do to rebalance government investment towards preventing problems rather than crisis management and is...

John Copps
Feb 20, 20245 min read


Mission impossible? Reflections on transforming public services
Emmet Regan argues that public service reform will require working in partnership with public servants, a willingness to take difficult...

Emmet Regan
Feb 9, 20244 min read


Public service reform must be underpinned by a focus on relationships
John Copps says that successful design and delivery of public service reform depends on a understanding of relationships between users,...

John Copps
Feb 1, 20242 min read


Prioritising Public Services - MV's 2024 campaign
Hear about Mutual Ventures' campaign to stand up for public services in 2024. At Mutual Ventures we have a clear and proud mission: to...

Mutual Ventures
Feb 1, 20242 min read


Regional working in children's services is growing - and is here to stay
John Copps says that the trend towards regional working in children’s services is here to stay, and that local authorities need to engage...

John Copps
Jan 9, 20243 min read


2024 in public services: What can we expect?
John Copps looks at some of the trends that might shape public services over the next 12 months. Douglas Adams said that predicting the...

John Copps
Jan 2, 20245 min read


Can we refocus on public service reform now?
MV's Andrew Laird, a Commissioner on the Poverty Strategy Commission, says that re-igniting an active public service reform agenda is a...

Andrew Laird
Sep 8, 20233 min read


Fostering Recruitment and Retention Programme: our support offer to local authority clusters
Mutual Ventures has been appointed delivery partner for the Department for Education’s Fostering Recruitment and Retention Programme. We...

Laura Power-Wharton
Aug 10, 20232 min read


The devolution agenda: what next for councils?
Luke Bevir argues that further expansion of devolution in England can deliver benefits for local communities but first requires councils...

Luke Bevir
Aug 1, 20234 min read


Five tips to help public servants in central government and local services work together better
Morgan Finlayson reflects on nearly a decade of working in the civil service and offers a personal perspective on what makes an effective...

Morgan Nasir-Finlayson
Jul 25, 20233 min read


Beyond levelling up: What the UK can learn from regeneration in East Germany
Yvonne Reinhardt reflects on the successes and shortcomings of post-reunification investment in East Germany and how these learning could...

Yvonne Reinhardt
Jul 24, 20234 min read


Now is the time for a new blueprint for public service reform
Public services are lacking a clear overall vision but now is the time for our political discourse to rise to the occasion and provide us...

Emmet Regan
Jun 8, 20234 min read


National and local government need to work together to achieve crucial co-production
Hannah Sampson argues that listening to the voices of service users needs to underpin effective relationships between national and local...

Hannah Sampson
Jun 5, 20232 min read


Catch up on our webinar: Should “local” be the default for all public services?
Catch up on our webinar on should "local" be the default for all public services. This webinar took place on Tuesday 18th April 2023....

Mutual Ventures
Apr 18, 20231 min read


Five pieces of advice for children’s services leaders
Emmet Regan sets out five areas of focus for local authority leaders for the next year to get the most out of the government’s response...

Emmet Regan
Mar 31, 20233 min read


Levelling Up is a clarion call for better collaboration across public services
Luke Bevir argues that tackling the causes of inequality at a regional and local level can only happen if there is effective...

Luke Bevir
Mar 1, 20233 min read